System and method for implementing polling agents in a client management tool

ABSTRACT

A method and system is provided for implementing a variety of polling agent functions in a client management tool. Users at a central manager are prompted to select either a central polling function or a resident polling function for the collection of client management data from a number of computer objects. Additionally, the polling agent functions of the present invention are capable of distinguishing between critical data and non-critical data and determining an appropriate transmission interval for the data.

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/561,277,filed Apr. 28, 2000 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,792,455 from which applicationpriority is thereby claimed.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to computer software and, moreparticularly, to a client management product for a computer system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Generally, it is desirable to utilize client management products, suchas capacity planning products, to proactively monitor one or more clientmachines, especially in large enterprise configurations utilizingmultiple machines dedicated to specific functions within the network.For example, a capacity planning product can determine when an existingserver system will reach or exceed the limits of its hardware. Incomparison, a sizing product, unlike a capacity planning product,involves a determination of the hardware investment needed to create anew computer system. Other client management products (namely,performance monitoring products) are used to monitor the performance ofcomputer networks and systems. Such performance monitoring productsprovide real-time monitoring of performance thresholds.

Traditionally, capacity planning products and performance monitoringproducts are implemented separately. However, running simultaneously,those products can generate significant levels of administrative trafficon a network. Additionally, the system administrator must monitor twodistinct client data gathering programs. This is especially inefficientif both are utilizing the same data from the client to implement theirfunction. Accordingly, there is a need for a product which integratesthe functions of capacity planning and performance monitoring into asingle client management product which more efficiently utilizes systemresources.

Existing client management products sometimes utilize polling agents tocollect data from a computer network and its components. One approach isto provide a central polling agent which issues data requests for clientdata (e.g., capacity planning or performance monitoring data) from anumber of network machines at given intervals. An alternative approachis to provide a number of resident polling agents which reside on thenetwork machines and which are responsible for transmission of clientdata to a central database at similar given intervals. Some networkadministrators prefer the central polling agent configuration because itdoes not require the system administrator to load and maintain pollingsoftware on each client. Other network administrators prefer to useresident polling agents because it reduces the amount of network trafficrelating to the collection of capacity planning data. Currently, anetwork administrator typically implements one polling agentconfiguration without the ability to change the configuration asmanagement needs vary. Given the demand for both approaches, there is aneed for a client management product which allows a user such as anetwork administrator to select from multiple polling functions ormodes, including a central polling function and a resident pollingfunction.

Client management data, such as capacity planning data, is obtained fora given client by taking a number of measurements involving varioussystem components. Some operating systems provide functions whichmeasure and transmit various system parameters. For example, severaloperating system vendors support the Web-Based Enterprise Management(WBEM) standardized format for accessing and sharing managementinformation. Counters, which are stored values that are incrementedevery time an event occurs, or after a measurement interval has beenobtained, are often used to measure memory usage or CPU (centralprocessing unit) usage on individual machines and to monitor utilizationor “busy time” for links. Historical information from counters can beused for a number of purposes, including the identification ofbottlenecks in performance (such as extensive disk queue lengths), thedetection of periods of peak usage and the prediction of future usage. Ameasurement typically involves a grouping or selection of multiplecounters or other such devices.

Conventionally, an active measurement is initiated by a monitoringprocess that identifies which measurements should be produced by theclient. However, once initiated, the measurement cannot be modifiedexcept by deactivating it, making the modification and then reactivatingit. This causes a discontinuity in the collection of client managementdata and can result in the loss of valuable information while themeasurement remains inactive. Moreover, substantial user interventionmay be required to complete the modification. Consequently, there is aneed for a client management product which provides the ability tomodify an active measurement without deactivating it.

Because separate client management products have been used to collectcapacity planning data and performance monitoring data, the dataobtained from active measurements is typically forwarded to separatedatabases at a central location without first being stored in theclient's cache or other local memory. Capacity planning data is usuallynot cached because it is collected infrequently and would consume theclient's cache or be overwritten by other data. Performance monitoringdata is typically not cached because it is critical data which should bemonitored frequently. However, if the performance data were storedlocally and averaged over a period of time, it would provide moreaccurate capacity planning data because it would be based on anincreased number of data points. Accordingly, there is a need for aclient management product which stores performance data locally andaverages it over a period of time so that more accurate capacityplanning data is provided to the central location.

Many service transactions are under a “service level agreement” (SLA),which is a contract between the provider of computer or databaseservices and user of those services. The SLA specifies the minimal levelof service that is guaranteed and usually is in the form of maximumresponse times for certain transaction. Violations of an SLA is likelyto occur if no measures are taken to anticipate potential violations.Accordingly, a capacity planning product can be utilized to anticipatesystem needs with respect to SLAs.

In addition to SLAs, service transactions may be subject to other timeconstraints, and it would be advantageous to monitor the response timein a service chain, for example, to determine in advance whether thetime constraints will likely be met. A “service chain” is a collectionof resources that are used in the processing of a transaction orservice. Because of the real-time need for monitoring, a separateperformance monitoring product would also need to be utilized. Thesubstantial deficiencies associated with concurrently running two clientmanagement products evidences a need for a client management productwhich can monitor multiple aspects of individual service transactions ina computer system by identifying and monitoring the specific systemresources involved.

It is oftentimes desirable to archive capacity planning and performancemonitoring data. Although archiving requires substantial memory,substantial resources were expended to collect the data in the firstplace and the archived data may be valuable for predictive analysis andfor generating reports based on detailed historical data to justify anexpensive upgrade. Traditionally, the archiving of capacity planningdata cannot be carried out within the client management tool itself.Instead, a conventional method of archiving must be used, which must becarried out utilizing software applications outside of the clientmanagement tool and which typically requires the expertise of a databasespecialist. Thus, there is a need for a client management product whichperforms both a client management function, such as capacity planning,and an archiving function without the need for a database specialist.

Generally, conventional management tools (e.g., capacity planning orperformance monitoring tools) store data collected from one or moreclients into database files. However, depending on the management toolselected and the provider of the management tool, the data can beorganized under a variety of database column headings, which are oftenproprietary in nature. For example, a first database file may have acolumn heading entitled “Machine Name” to represent the specificidentity of a server while a second database file may utilize the columnheading “Computer Name” to represent the same information. Accordingly,data collected via different management tools and/or different toolproviders may be incompatible because of inconsistencies in the dataschema. Thus, there is a need for a management tool that can read and/orconvert previously collected management data.

Additionally, because none of the conventional management tools are usedfor both capacity planning and performance monitoring, the collecteddata is saved in variable length files, known as a log file, whoselength cannot be adjusted, or added to, once the measurement is closed.For example, Microsoft Corporation provides a PERFMON performancemonitoring function in its WINDOWS NT brand operating system. Typically,PERFMON can save the collected data into an EXCEL spreadsheet format,which is unique to Microsoft products. However, once a PERFMONmeasurement is stopped, a reactivation of the same measurement criteriainstigates the creation of a second log file having the same name.Currently, there is no method, absent saving the contents of the twoseparate files to a third file, for storing additional management dataon the original file. Thus, there is a need for a management tool thatcan store multiple measurement data within the same measurement file.

Another drawback to conventional capacity planners is their userinterface (UI), which typically requires a highly trained systemadministrator or system manager. For example, many conventional UIs donot allow a user to manipulate the system in a graphical form, relyingon generally more difficult command-based interfaces. Moreover, the UIsgenerally entail multiple screen interfaces to carry out a singlefunction of the management system. These aspects of a conventional UIrequire more system administrator training and thus increase the costsassociated with a capacity planner. Accordingly, there is also a needfor a capacity planning product having a more intuitive UI which reducesthe costs associated with the product because less training is requiredfor the system administrator.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Generally described, the present invention provides a method in acomputer system for implementing one or more polling agents forcollecting data from a plurality of computer system objects. Accordingto the method, a user is prompted to select one of a plurality ofpolling functions. If a user selection is received, at least one pollingagent is implemented corresponding to the selected polling function.

In another aspect of the invention, a computer system for managing aplurality of objects is provided. The system includes a central managerand a first of the plurality of objects being in communication with thecentral manager. Additionally, the system includes a polling agent forcollecting data from the plurality of objects. The polling agent resideson the first object when the computer system operates in a first pollingmode and the polling agent resides on the central manager when thecomputer system operates in a second polling mode.

In a further aspect of the invention, a computer system for managing aplurality of objects is provided. The system includes means forcentrally managing the computer system and a first of the plurality ofobjects being in communication with the central managing means.Additionally, the system includes means for collecting data from theplurality of objects. The collecting means reside on the first objectwhen the computer system operates in a first polling mode and thecollecting means reside on the central manager when the computer systemoperates in a second polling mode.

A method and system is provided for implementing a variety of pollingagent functions in a client management tool. Users at a central managerare prompted to select either a central polling function or a residentpolling function for the collection of client management data from anumber of computer objects. Additionally, the polling agent functions ofthe present invention are capable of distinguishing between criticaldata and non-critical data and determining an appropriate transmissioninterval for the data.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

The present invention is described in detail below with reference to theattached drawing figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a computing system environment suitable foruse in implementing the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a computer system including a plurality ofclients and a central manager suitable for implementing a preferredembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an exemplary Web-based computer system forimplementing the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a service chain suitable for use inconnection with the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating the components of a preferredembodiment of the present invention in which the collection function ofa capacity planner is integrated with the collection function of aperformance monitor;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating the interaction between thepolling interface and the management interface of a server suitable foruse in connection with the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating the components of a policy issuedin accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a data structure for the propertiescomponent of the policy of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of an exemplary computer system having a cachefor storing client performance data locally in accordance with apreferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary computer system forarchiving performance data in accordance with a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 11 is a screen shot of a graphical user interface for prompting theuser to select from a plurality of available polling configurations inaccordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a screen shot of a graphical user interface for creating anew policy measurement in accordance with a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 13 is a screen shot of a graphical user interface for editing anactive policy measurement in accordance with a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 14 is a screen shot of a graphical user interface for archiving oneor more previously collected management data files in accordance with apreferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 15 and 16 are screen shots of a graphical user interface forcreating new performance archives in accordance with a preferredembodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 17 is a screen shot of a graphical user interface for entering ascripted correlation for a translation engine in accordance with apreferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a suitable computing system environmentin which the invention may be implemented. The computing systemenvironment is only one example of a suitable computing environment andis not intended to suggest any limitation as to the scope of use orfunctionality of the invention. Neither should the computing environmentbe interpreted as having any dependency or requirement relating to anyone or combination of components illustrated in the exemplary operatingenvironment.

The invention is operational with numerous other general purpose orspecial purpose computing system environments or configurations.Examples of well known computing systems, environments, and/orconfigurations that may be suitable for use with the invention include,but are not limited to, personal computers, server computers, hand-heldor laptop devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based systems,programmable consumer electronics, network PCs, minicomputers, mainframecomputers, distributed computing environments that include any of theabove systems or devices, and the like.

The invention may be described in the general context ofcomputer-executable instructions, such as program modules, beingexecuted by a computer. Generally, program modules include routines,programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that performparticular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. Theinvention may also be practiced in distributed computing environmentswhere tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linkedthrough a communications network. In a distributed computingenvironment, program modules may be located in both local and remotecomputer storage media including memory storage devices.

With reference to FIG. 1, an exemplary system for implementing theinvention includes a general purpose computing device in the form of acomputer 20. Components of computer 20 include, but are not limited to,a processing unit 22, a system memory 24, and a system bus 26 thatcouples various system components including the system memory to theprocessing unit 22. The system bus 26 may be any of several types of busstructures including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheralbus, and a local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures. By wayof example, and not limitation, such architectures include IndustryStandard Architecture (ISA) bus, Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus,Enhanced ISA (EISA) bus, Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA)local bus, and Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus also known asMezzanine bus.

Computer 20 typically includes a variety of computer readable media.Computer readable media can be any available media that can be accessedby computer 20 and includes both volatile and nonvolatile media,removable and non-removable media. By way of example, and notlimitation, computer readable media may comprise computer storage mediaand communication media. Computer storage media includes both volatileand nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in anymethod or technology for storage of information such as computerreadable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data.Computer storage media includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM,EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digitalversatile disks (DVD) or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes,magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices,or any other medium which can be used to store the desired informationand which can be accessed by computer 20. Communication media typicallyembodies computer readable instructions, data structures, programmodules or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier waveor other transport mechanism and includes any information deliverymedia. The term “modulated data signal” means a signal that has one ormore of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encodeinformation in the signal. By way of example, and not limitation,communication media includes wired media such as a wired network ordirect wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, RF,infrared and other wireless media. Combinations of any of the aboveshould also be included within the scope of computer readable media.

The system memory 24 includes computer storage media in the form ofvolatile and/or nonvolatile memory such as read only memory (ROM) 28 andrandom access memory (RAM) 30. A basic input/output system 32 (BIOS),containing the basic routines that help to transfer information betweenelements within computer 20, such as during start-up, is typicallystored in ROM 28. RAM 30 typically contains data and/or program modulesthat are immediately accessible to and/or presently being operated on byprocessing unit 22. By way of example, and not limitation, FIG. 1illustrates operating system 46, application programs 48, other programmodules 50, and program data 52.

The computer 20 may also include other removable/non-removable,volatile/nonvolatile computer storage media. By way of example only,FIG. 1 illustrates a hard disk drive 34 that reads from or writes tonon-removable, nonvolatile magnetic media, a magnetic disk drive 36 thatreads from or writes to removable, nonvolatile magnetic disk 38, and anoptical disk drive 40 that reads from or writes to a removable,nonvolatile optical disk 42 such as a CD ROM or other optical media.Other removable/non-removable, volatile/nonvolatile computer storagemedia that can be used in the exemplary operating environment include,but are not limited to, magnetic tape cassettes, flash memory cards,digital video disks, digital video tape, Bernoulli cartridges, solidstate RAM, solid state ROM, and the like. The hard disk drive 34,magnetic disk drive 36, and optical disk drive 40 are typicallyconnected to the system bus 26 by a Small Computer System Interface(SCSI) 44. Alternatively, the hard disk drive 34, magnetic disk drive 36and optical disk drive 40 may be connected to the system bus 26 by ahard disk drive interface, a magnetic disk drive interface, and anoptical drive interface, respectively.

The drives and their associated computer storage media discussed aboveand illustrated in FIG. 1, provide storage of computer readableinstructions, data structures, program modules and other data for thecomputer 20. In FIG. 1, for example, hard disk drive 34 is illustratedas storing operating system 46, application programs 48, other programmodules 50, and program data 52. Note that these components can eitherbe the same as or different from operating system 46, applicationprograms 48, other program modules 50, and program data 52. A user mayenter commands and information into the computer 20 through inputdevices such as a keyboard 54 and pointing device 56, commonly referredto as a mouse, trackball or touch pad. Other input devices (not shown)may include a microphone, joystick, game pad, satellite dish, scanner,or the like. These and other input devices are often connected to theprocessing unit 22 through a user input interface 58 or a serial portinterface 60 that is coupled to the system bus, but may be connected byother interface and bus structures, such as a parallel port, game portor a universal serial bus (USB). A monitor 61 or other type of displaydevice is also connected to the system bus 26 via an interface, such asa video adapter 62. In addition to the monitor 61, computers may alsoinclude other peripheral output devices such as speakers and printers,which may be connected through an output peripheral interface.

The computer 20 may operate in a networked environment using logicalconnections to one or more remote computers, such as a remote computer64. The remote computer 64 may be a personal computer, a server, arouter, a network PC, a peer device or other common network node, andtypically includes many or all of the elements described above relativeto the computer 20, although only a memory storage device has beenillustrated in FIG. 1. The logical connections depicted in FIG. 1include a local area network (LAN) 66 and a wide area network (WAN) 68,but may also include other networks. Such networking environments arecommonplace in offices, enterprise-wide computer networks, intranets andthe Internet.

When used in a LAN networking environment, the computer 20 is connectedto the LAN 66 through a network interface or adapter 70. When used in aWAN networking environment, the computer 20 typically includes a modem72 or other means for establishing communications over the WAN 68, suchas the Internet. The modem 72, which may be internal or external, may beconnected to the system bus 26 via the serial port interface 60 or otherappropriate mechanism. In a networked environment, program modulesdepicted relative to the computer 20, or portions thereof, may be storedin the remote memory storage device. By way of example, and notlimitation, FIG. 1 illustrates remote application programs 48 asresiding on memory device 64. It will be appreciated that the networkconnections shown are exemplary and other means of establishing acommunications link between the computers may be used.

Although many other internal components of the computer 20 are notshown, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that suchcomponents and the interconnection are well known. Accordingly,additional details concerning the internal construction of the computer20 need not be disclosed in connection with the present invention.

Those skilled in the art will understand that program modules such asthe operating system 46, application programs 48 and data 52 areprovided to the computer 20 via one of its memory storage devices, whichmay include ROM 28, RAM 30, hard disk drive 34, magnetic disk drive 36or optical disk drive 40. Preferably, the hard disk drive 34 is used tostore data 52 and programs, including the operating system 46 andapplication programs 48.

When the computer 20 is turned on or reset, the BIOS 32, which is storedin the ROM 28 instructs the processing unit 22 to load the operatingsystem from the hard disk drive 34 into the RAM 30. Once the operatingsystem 46 is loaded in RAM 30, the processing unit 22 executes theoperating system code and causes the visual elements associated with theuser interface of the operating system 46 to be displayed on the monitor61. When an application program 48 is opened by a user, the program codeand relevant data are read from the hard disk drive 34 and stored in RAM30.

With reference to FIG. 2, an exemplary computer system 80 includes acentral manager 82 connected to a plurality of clients 84, 86, 88 and 90over a plurality of corresponding communications links. Each of theclients 84–90 has a polling interface (PI) 91 which is thecommunications interface between that client and the central manager 82and which is preferably the access point for the management information.Additionally, the PI 91 may include additional components which processand request client data. The central manager 82 includes a managementmachine 92, a console 94, a database 96 and a central polling agent 98.Although shown separately in FIG. 2, the agent 98 may instead reside onthe machine 92, the console 94 or the database 96.

The clients 84–90 are preferably servers which have dedicated functionswithin a larger enterprise network. Such a network 100 is shown in FIG.3. In the network 100, the client manager 82 is connected to an activityscreen 102 and is also connected to a web server 104. The web server 104is in turn connected to a client server 106, an application server 108and a database server 110. The application server 108 and the databaseserver 110 are also in communication with one another. As would beunderstood by those skilled in the art, the present inventioncontemplates that the clients 84–90 (FIG. 2) may include multi-purposeservers, servers from different networks and/or non-server computers.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention includes many featureswhich are not found in conventional client management products,including the ability to select from multiple polling agentconfigurations. Upon initialization, the user console 94 retrieves anddisplays a set of menu entries which set forth the available pollingagent configurations. As shown in FIG. 11, the user is prompted via agraphical user interface to select one of the two or more pollingfunctions or modes for collecting the capacity planning data.Preferably, a central polling mode and a resident polling mode are bothpresented to the user. Another possible polling agent configurationwould be a combined central and resident polling mode involving acentral polling agent and one or more resident polling agents. Thislatter configuration may be useful for balancing management traffic overa network.

Upon receiving a user selection, the present invention implements atleast one polling agent in accordance with the selected pollingfunction. While the central polling function typically involves only asingle polling agent, the resident polling function often involvesmultiple polling agents residing on separate machines or objects withinthe computer system. The present invention may designate one of thepolling functions as a default selection (e.g., in the event no userselection is received within a preset time).

When a central polling configuration is selected, the central poller(CP) 98 communicates with the PIs over the respective links. The CP 98communicates to the PIs 91 what type of data is required and when itshould be communicated. Then, the CP 98 receives the data over the linksfrom the PIs 91. However, under a resident polling configuration, thePIs 91 receive an initial polling function from the central manager 82and determine the type of data required and when to send that data.Preferably, the resident PIs 91 send the data to the central database96. Generally, the operation of a computer system in a single pollingconfiguration (either central or resident) is conventional, and thedetails of such operation will not be described further herein except tothe extent the present invention differs therefrom.

In addition to providing users with an initial choice between multiplepolling configurations, the present invention advantageously providesthe ability to change polling configurations. For example, a clientmanagement session in a central polling configuration can be convertedto a resident polling configuration simply by reinitializing the clientmanagement session and selecting the other configuration. Moreover, thepresent invention also supports concurrent client management sessions,particularly involving one or more common machines, having differentagent configurations.

The present invention preferably utilizes WBEM interface components togather management data. The WBEM initiative is based on a set ofmanagement and Internet standard technologies developed to unify themanagement of enterprise computing environments, and it provides theability to deliver a set of standard-based management tools leveragingemerging technologies such as CIM (Common Information Model) and XML(Extensible Markup Language). One example of a WBEM-compliant interfacewhich can be utilized by the present invention is MicrosoftCorporation's Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI). It isunderstood, however, that other interfaces may be used with the presentinvention. In any event, the polling agent issues to each client amanagement template, such as a policy, which identifies specific systemobjects and measurements to be taken in relation to those objects.Additionally, each client can receive multiple policies for differentclient management functions. Preferably, a policy engine in theoperating system of the management machine 92 generates the policies forthe system 80.

As shown in FIG. 7, a policy 150 preferably includes a policy namecomponent 152, a component 154 which sets forth the objects of thepolicy, and a properties component 156. The properties component 156 ofthe policy 150 may be in the form of a data structure as set forth inFIGS. 8A–8B. Referring initially to FIG. 8A, the data structure 156preferably includes a collection name field 158, a report title field160, a report date field 162, a report starting time field 164, a reportstop date field 166 and a report length field 168. Additionally, asshown in FIG. 8B, the data structure 156 includes a days of the weekfield 170, a report type field 172, a priority field 174, a machinenames field 176 and a collection database field 178.

Unlike conventional capacity planning products, a preferred embodimentof the present invention obtains capacity planning data by issuingcapacity planning policies. A typical capacity planning policy mightrequire machines such as servers 84–90 to measure CPU utilization, tomeasure queue lengths and to count I/O operations. This information isusually collected on an hourly or daily basis because it is typicallynot high priority information. FIG. 12 is illustrative of a preferredgraphical user interface which allows a user to create and issue a newpolicy measurement to a client management machine.

Similarly, the present invention obtains performance monitoring data byissuing performance monitoring policies. As with capacity planningpolicies, performance monitoring policies identify specific systemobjects and measurements to be taken in relation to those objects.Performance monitoring policies typically differ from capacity planningpolicies, however, in that they seek different information for differentpurposes. As an example, one performance monitoring policy might requireservers 84–90 (FIG. 2) to transmit data only if CPU utilization isgreater than 50% for three minutes. If there are no violations of thepolicy, no data would be transmitted in response to that policy.However, the violation of a performance monitoring policy is usually ofhigh importance and should be reported immediately.

FIG. 6 illustrates some of the internal components of a client 140suitable for use in connection with the present invention. Like theservers 84–90, the client 140 has a polling interface 91 which functionsas a resident polling agent in a resident polling mode and whichcommunicates with a central polling agent in a central polling mode. Theclient 140 also includes a management interface 142 which is connectedto an object reporting component 144, a communication interface 146 anda plurality of data providers 148. The interface 142 is preferably theWMI interface of Microsoft Corporation's WINDOWS 2000 operating system,the object reporting component 144 is preferably a data handler, and thecommunication interface 146 is preferably a directory such as MicrosoftCorporation's ACTIVE DIRECTORY. It is understood, however, that thepresent invention may be implemented with other operating systems (suchas Unix) and other directory services (such as Novell Netware).Preferably, the data providers 150 include the counters and/or the tracelogs commonly used to measure the performance of the client 140.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention also includes theability to collect both capacity planning data and performancemonitoring data in a single collection function. Conventionally,performance monitoring data is collected by a separate product, such asthe PERFORMANCE MONITOR program implemented on Microsoft Corporation'sWINDOWS NT or WINDOWS 2000 brand operating systems, or other performancemonitoring programs, rather than a capacity planning product. Byintegrating the collection function of these two types of products,numerous efficiencies are achieved. For example, the volume ofmanagement traffic is reduced with the integrated capacityplanner/performance monitor of the present invention. Additionally, onlyone polling agent/polling interface need be monitored by each client,thereby reducing the strain on system resources such as memoryutilization, processor utilization and operator training.

A management node 130 is shown in FIG. 5 for an integrated capacityplanner/performance monitor. The node 130 includes a request component132, a capacity planning component 134 and a performance monitoringcomponent 136.

Although capacity planning data and performance monitoring data aretypically not collected with the same frequency, there are a number ofpossible methods for integrating the collection of capacity planning andperformance monitoring data. One method is to store the performancemonitoring data (which is normally collected more frequently thancapacity planning data) in the cache portion of the client's residentmemory until the end of the next capacity planning interval, then bothtypes of data are sent to their respective databases at that time. Asdiscussed below in connection with FIG. 9, the cached performancemonitoring data may be stored either in tables or in designated cacheareas.

Another method for integrating the collection of capacity planning andperformance monitoring data is to send the performance monitoring datato both the cache and the central database at each performancemonitoring interval. In either case, the cached performance monitoringdata could be averaged before being sent to the central database. Othercollection methods could be tied to the occurrence of a policyviolation, or to the occurrence of other events related to particularpolicies which are in effect.

Because the present invention allows multiple client managementfunctions to be performed by the same components (e.g., the pollingagents), the client management data processed by the components can takeon different priorities for processing. For example, if the clientmanagement data is capacity planning data, which is typically collectedon an hourly or daily basis, the need for the client manager to receivethe data within a short time period is minimal. On the other hand, ifthe client management data is performance monitoring data, which istypically collected every few seconds, the need for the client managerto receive the data within a short time period is greatly increased.Conventional capacity planning products may unnecessarily congestnetwork traffic by sending low priority capacity planning data duringperiods of high network utilization.

In another aspect of the present invention, the polling agents have theability to limit the transmission of low priority data during times ofhigh network utilization. For example, in a resident pollingconfiguration, the polling agent at the client receives both capacityplanning data and performance monitoring data from the client, and thereare pre-established intervals for sending the data to the clientmanager. However, if the data to be transmitted is capacity planningdata, the polling agent examines the current level of networkutilization. If the network utilization is above a threshold level, thepolling agent will not transmit the capacity planning data until thenetwork utilization reaches an acceptable level or after a predeterminedtime period. In contrast, if the data is performance monitoring data,the polling agent transmits the higher priority data to the clientmanager regardless of the network utilization. Thus, the presentinvention allows the client management system to further reduce thestrain on the network.

The present invention also permits users to effectively alter an activemeasurement without deactivating it simply by changing the originalmeasurement template, or policy, which calls for that measurement. Giventhat a relatively large number of measurements are normally taking placethroughout a network for various purposes (e.g., operating systemmeasurements), the active measurements specified in a policy are merelya subset of the available active measurements. Consequently, the policycan be changed without interrupting the act of taking the measurement.As an example, a policy may request notification whenever a particularmachine's CPU utilization exceeds 50%. If the policy is later amended sothat notification occurs only when CPU utilization exceeds 40% for fiveminutes, the measurement itself is not interrupted. Similarly, thepolicy could be amended by deleting any reference to that machine's CPUutilization, but the measurement is still not deactivated. Thereafter,the policy might be amended to once again request notification if themachine's CPU utilization exceeds a certain threshold. Consequently, theunderlying measurement is not affected by sending new policies or bychanging existing policies. With reference to FIG. 13, a user edits anactive measurement using the same or similar graphical user interface.Conventional capacity planners do not provide this functionality.

Another feature of the present invention involves caching performancedata at the client location and averaging it over a selected time periodto obtain more accurate capacity planning data. An exemplary computersystem 180 is shown in FIG. 9 and includes a client memory 182 coupledwith a plurality of processors 184, 186, 188 and 190 over a bus 192. Itis understood, however, that the present invention could be implementedon any computer system having a memory and one or more processors. Theclient memory 182 shown in FIG. 9 includes a cache 194, which containsone or more tables 196, and a collection agent 198.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention,performance data is collected by the agent 198 at selected intervals andstored in the cache 194 for a period of time. Typically, performancemonitoring data is collected at relatively short intervals (e.g., a fewseconds) and capacity planning data is collected at relative longintervals (e.g., hourly or daily). Under the present invention, theperformance data is preferably cached for a time period (e.g., an hour)which is less than the normal collection interval for capacity planningyet greater than the normal collection interval for performancemonitoring. Then, the cached data is averaged over that time period andforwarded to a central database. The averaged performance data providesa substantially higher number of data points than is typical forcapacity planning data. For example, if the collection interval forperformance monitoring is three seconds and that data is averagedhourly, an hourly average would be based on 1200 data points. Bycontrast, an hourly collection interval for capacity planning producesdata based on a single data point. Those skilled in the art wouldappreciate that the specific intervals discussed above are merelyexemplary and that the actual intervals are configurable.

With continued reference to FIG. 9, the caching feature of the presentinvention may be implemented in at least two ways. The performance datacollected by the agent 198 may be written to an area in the cache 194defined to exclusively contain the management data (i.e., an area otherthan a table). Alternatively, when blocks of the cache 194 cannot beassigned solely to one specific function, the cache collection processcan be simulated by writing the performance data to one or more tables196 stored in variable locations in the cache. The cache need notcontain any tables if the data is being written to a cache area. Thoseskilled in the art will understand that one or more clients may insteadforward the performance data to a remote cache (e.g., the managementmachine 92 in FIG. 2) in which the data is stored and averaged and thenforwarded to a central collection location (e.g., the database 96 ofFIG. 2).

Importantly, the present invention provides an archiving function withinthe client management tool, thereby eliminating the time-consuming andtedious tasks of exiting and re-entering the capacity planner simply toarchive. Consequently, the user interface is simplified and incorporatesthe archiving function so that a database specialist is not required forroutine activities. FIGS. 14–16 are screen shots illustrative ofgraphical user interfaces for archiving data within the clientmanagement tool. As illustrated in FIG. 14, the user may be given theopportunity to create a new performance archive, to restore archiveddata, or to delete archived files. With reference to FIGS. 15–16, agraphical user interface allows the user to designate the amount of dataarchived (e.g., all data within a one year block).

Referring next to FIG. 10, an exemplary computer system 200 is shownwhich includes an I/O control 202 coupled to a disk control 204 via I/Ochannels. A plurality of disk drives 206, 208, 210 and 212 are connectedto the disk control 204 over a bus. Although four disks 206–210 areshown in FIG. 10, the system 200 could include any number of disks forthe purposes of the present invention. Preferably, the diskconfiguration of FIG. 10 is utilized to archive performance data. Forexample, a single performance archive file may be stored only on anindividual disk, such as the disk 206. Additionally, a mirror copy ofthe same performance archive file could be stored on another of thedisks, such as the disk 212 for redundancy. Alternatively, theperformance archive file may be broken up into two or more componentsand stored separately. For example, the performance archive file may bebroken up into four components such that each of the disks 206–212contains one of the components.

A further feature of the present invention involves reading from and/orconverting pre-existing management data databases. Preferably, under thepresent invention, a standardized schema for storing management data,regardless of the management tool or the provider to facilitate futureclient management, is created utilizing a preferred three-tableconfiguration, such as Microsoft Corporation's SQL Server Databaseformat. Accordingly, all future data collected and stored under thestandardized schema will be readable from a variety of management tools.However, previously collected data, stored in a format different fromthe standardized format, remains unreadable and/or prevents a managerfrom adding new data stored under the standardized format. Thus, thepresent invention utilizes two embodiments for reading and/or convertingpre-existing management database files.

In a first embodiment, the present invention utilizes a filter, such asSQL Server Data Transformation Service (DTS), which can accept variouspre-existing formats and automatically convert them to a standardizedformat. The filter accepts pre-existing database files saved in one ormore pre-existing formats, and converts them to the standardized schema.For example, some conventional client management tools collect and storeclient management data in a spreadsheet format, such as MicrosoftCorporation's EXCEL spreadsheet format, with pre-defined data columnheadings. Accordingly, the filter, configured to accept the pre-defineddata formats, reads the EXCEL file and converts it to the standardizedformat. As would be readily understood, alternative types ofpre-existing database file configurations acceptable by the filter areconsidered to be within the scope of the present invention.

In a second embodiment, the present invention includes a translationengine on the management tool that utilizes a scriptable language, suchas Microsoft VB Scripts, allowing a user to specify a correlation of theschema utilized by the pre-existing database file to the standardizedschema. In this embodiment, the present invention does not convert thedatabase file, but rather utilizes the scripted correlation to locatedata on the pre-existing database file. For example, a first column inthe pre-existing database file utilizes a “Machine Name” field toidentify the server. Under the standardized schema, however, acorresponding field is called “ServerName.” Accordingly, to allow thepre-existing database file to be read, the user indicates via thescriptable language that these fields are equivalent and then themanagement tool would know to look under the “Machine Name” field whenprompted to recall, by a management process, the data in the“ServerName” field. FIG. 17 is a screen shot illustrative of a preferredgraphical user interface allowing a user to enter correlation scripts inaccordance with the present invention. As would be readily understood,alternative graphical user interfaces are considered to be within thescope of the present invention.

The following script is illustrative of a user input to a translationengine in accordance with the present invention.

-   -   SELECT*from PERFTABLE WHERE MACHINE_NAME=“DB00” OR        MEASUREMENT_NAME=“DATABASE_MACHINE_MEASUREMENT”        In this example, the script indicates that the translation        engine should select from the database file named “PERFTABLE”        all data having the properties under column heading        “MACHINE_NAME” of “DB00” or MEASUREMENT_NAME of        “DATABASE_MACHINE_MEASUREMENT.” As would be understood,        alternative input methods are considered to be within the scope        of the present invention.

In yet another feature, the present invention includes the ability tolink into and expand existing database files. Some database files, suchas log files, utilize an end-of-file (EOF) indicator to signal the endof the measurement data file. Generally, these log files are designatedfor a dedicated purpose (e.g., capacity planning or performancemonitoring), so it is generally not regarded as a deficiency that themanagement tool database file cannot be expanded. However, because thepresent invention can utilize collected management data for bothperformance monitoring and capacity planning, the present inventionexpands a file as the more management data is collected and utilized forvarious purposes.

For example, as performance monitoring data is being written to a logfile, it is utilized by the performance monitoring component of thepresent invention. Upon completion of the specific collection process,an EOF indicator is attached to the end of the file to indicate that nomore management data is to be read. However, as more performancemonitoring data is collected, it is preferable to add it to the same logfile, as the data will also be used for capacity planning purposes. Thepresent invention accepts the incoming data and relocates the EOF of thefile to the end of the new data. Accordingly, the log file is expanded.

In accordance with other aspects of the present invention, the expansionof existing log files preferably works with log files formatted in astandardized schema. Accordingly, new management data being written tothe log file preferably is organized according to the standardizedschema. To maintain consistency in data, the management data in thedatabase file is preferably stored according to the schema to facilitatethe addition of the new data.

FIG. 4 illustrates an application of the present invention in anexemplary service chain 120 for performing a service transaction. Theservice chain 120 includes a plurality of service chain components 122,124, 126 and 128. The client manager 82 is in communication with theservice chain 120 for monitoring the performance of its components122–128. While the service chain shown in FIG. 4 is depicted as a seriesof machines M1 through M4, the service chain 120 could consist of anycombination of hardware and/or software components associated with theservice transaction in question.

Because the present invention preferably implements both a capacityplanning function and a performance monitoring function, the clientmanager 82 may issue to the components 122–128 policies which aredirected to either function. For example, a first policy may implement acapacity planning function to estimate system performance and determinewhether the system is likely to violate a service level agreement (SLA).A second policy may implement a performance monitoring function bydetecting in real-time any occurrence of a threshold being exceeded.Thus, the client management product of the present invention allows fora more complete management of service chains than a conventionalproduct.

Alternative embodiments of the present invention will become apparent tothose skilled in the art to which it pertains upon review of thespecification, including the drawing figures. The various computersystems and components shown in FIGS. 1–17 and described in thespecification are merely exemplary of those suitable for use inconnection with the present invention. Accordingly, the scope of thepresent invention is defined by the appended claims rather than theforegoing description.

1. A computer system for managing a plurality of objects, the systemcomprising: a central manager; a first of the plurality of objects beingin communication with the central manager; and a polling agent forcollecting data from the plurality of objects, wherein the polling agentpermanently resides on the first object when the computer systemoperates in a first polling mode and wherein the polling agentpermanently resides on the central manager when the computer systemoperates in a second polling mode.
 2. The computer system recited inclaim 1 further comprising a second polling agent which permanentlyresides on a second of the plurality of objects when the computer systemoperates in the first polling mode.
 3. The computer system recited inclaim 1 further comprising a second polling agent which permanentlyresides on the first object when the computer system operates in thesecond polling mode.
 4. The computer system recited in claim 1 furthercomprising a database for storing the data collected by the pollingagent.
 5. The computer system recited in claim 1 further comprising auser interface for prompting the user to select from a plurality ofpolling modes.
 6. The computer system recited in claim 1, wherein thefirst polling mode is a resident polling mode.
 7. The computer systemrecited in claim 1, wherein the second polling mode is a central pollingmode.
 8. The computer system recited in claim 7, wherein the centralpolling mode does not require resident polling agents.
 9. A computersystem for managing a plurality of objects, the system comprising: meansfor centrally managing the computer system; a first of the plurality ofobjects being in communication with the central managing means; andmeans for collecting data from the plurality of objects, wherein thecollecting means permanently reside on the first object when thecomputer system operates in a first polling mode and wherein thecollecting means permanently reside on the central managing means whenthe computer system operates in a second polling mode.
 10. The computersystem recited in claim 9, wherein the collecting means include a firstcollector permanently residing on the first object and a secondcollector permanently residing on a second of the plurality of objectswhen the computer system operates in the first polling mode.
 11. Thecomputer system recited in claim 9, wherein the collecting means includea first collector permanently residing on the central managing means anda second collector permanently residing on the first object when thecomputer system operates in the second polling mode.
 12. The computersystem recited in claim 9 further comprising storage means for storingthe data collected by the collecting means.
 13. The computer systemrecited in claim 9 further comprising a user interface means forprompting the user to select from a plurality of polling modes.
 14. Thecomputer system recited in claim 9, wherein the first polling mode is aresident polling mode.
 15. The computer system recited in claim 9,wherein the second polling mode is a central polling mode.
 16. Thecomputer system recited in claim 15, wherein the central polling modedoes not require resident polling agents.